Plants

The Black Hills is often seen as ecological crossroads, with plant communities representative of the Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, northern boreal forests, and eastern deciduous forests. This wide variety of habitats in turn supports a diverse collection of plant species. The Black Hills is home to over 1500 plant species, 17 of which are regionally designated as sensitive species.

Ponderosa pine is the dominant tree species found in the Black Hills, but dense stands of white spruce also occur in localized areas. A variety of deciduous trees and shrubs also occur in some of the moister habitats. These include quaking aspen, bur oak, paper birch, willow species, boxelder, plains cottonwood, chokecherry and beaked hazelnut.

To learn more about our trees and plants, contact our forest specialists at (605) 673-9200.